Album Review

By serving as co-producer of her second release, Alchemy (along with Black Sabbath/Two producer Bob Marlette), Leah Andreone had more involvement than on her 1996 debut, Veiled, ultimately resulting in a more diverse and interesting collection of songs. Whereas the debut was a straight-ahead collection of Alanis Morissette-esque alterna-pop, Alchemy is the complete opposite — far more unpredictable sonic experimentation and a wide variety of musical styles are touched upon. It also appears as though Andreone is confident enough with her songwriting to take chances, such as the track "Try to Take Your Time," which merges jazzy sounds with samples of a Paul Stanley stage rap (from Kiss' 1975 Alive!). The funky "Porn" sounds as if it was written back in the '70s, while "Sunny Day" and "Swallow Me" are more current-sounding. Alchemy shows that Leah Andreone is maturing as an artist and songwriter, and is headed in the right direction for chart success.

Biography

Born: 24 May 1974

Genre: Pop

Years Active: '90s, '00s, '10s

Born and raised in San Diego, CA, Leah Andreone began her musical career early (at the age of eight), singing with her older sisters' band. By the age of 13 Andreone was writing commercials and jingles, which led her to begin penning her own original songs. After dropping out of college, she began pursuing a record deal as a solo artist while working at a restaurant, all the while honing her act in the clubs of San Diego and Los Angeles. She was able to pass along a demo to some RCA record label...